Egg container



March 12, 1957 A. BRAUNSTEIN EGG CONTAINER INVEN'ILOR 1 iron Braunsi'e in 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Ma 21, 1956 Wang MW March 12, 1957 A. BRAUNSTEIN EGG CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 21, 1856 INVENTOR Paw/4 United States Patent EGG CONTAINER Aron Braunstein, Brownsville, Tex.

Application May 21, 1956, Serial No. 586,138

6 Claims. (Cl. 229-28) This invention relates to a novel container or carton for packaging eggs, and more particularly has reference to a container for holding a dozen eggs.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a container formed primarily from a single blank of an inexpensive material such as cardboard which may be shipped and handled conveniently in blank form and which may be quickly assembled with the use of staples to form a container for effectively holding a plurality of eggs.

Another object of the invention is to provide an egg container provided with struck-out portions forming flaps by means of which the eggs are yieldably held in the container out of contact with one another to thus provide cushioning supports for protecting eggs from breakage.

A further object of the invention is to provide an egg container having a separate inserted part in the form of an elongated strip of the same material as the container forming blank and which provides an intermediate ply of a longitudinal partition wall separating longitudinal halves of the container, and which additionally functions as a brace for reinforcing the container midway between front and rear walls thereof and between the bottom and top wall of the container, to resist collapsing of the container top and a resulting crushing of the eggs disposed therebeneath.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan View, partly in horizoutal section, showing the assembled egg container in an open position;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the closed container, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view through the egg container, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and on an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a plan view on a reduced scale of the blank from which the container is formed, and

Figure 5 is a plan view of the rein-forcing insert utilized with the blank of Figure 4.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the egg container in its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally 7 and is formed from a blank 8, as seen in Figure 4, and a strip 9 as seen in Figure 5. 'the blank 8 is formed of an inexpensive paperboard stock :suitable for the purpose such as cardboard, and the strip .9 is preferably for-med of the same material.

The blank 8 constitutes an elongated strip which is provided with spaced transversely extending scored lines 10 along which the blank is adapted to be folded. One end portion of the blank constitutes the cover flap 11 which has an outwardly projecting tongue 12. The next section of the blank located between two of the scored lines 10 constitutes the cover 13. The next three sections of the blank 8,.from the cover 13, constitute the rear wall 14, bottom 15 and front wall 16. The front wall 16 is provided with an elongated slit 17 for receiving the tongue 12, as will hereinafter be described. The rear wall 14 is provided with extensions at the ends thereofforming flaps 18, each of which is provided with a transverse slit 19. The bottom 15 has extensions at the ends thereof forming end flaps 20. The front wall 16 is also provided with end extensions forming flaps 21 which are provided at their outer ends with tongue extensions 22. The portion of the blank 8 previously described and designated generally 23 forms the shell or outer portion of the assembled container 7. The remainder of the blank, designated generally 24, forms the interior or filler of the container 7 and is likewise divided by transversely extending scored lines 10 and includes a panel 25 located next to the front wall 16 which forms an inner ply of the front wall. A panel 26, similar to the panel 25 and formed by the outermost portion of the blank section 24, forms an inner ply of the rear wall 14 of the assembled container. The blank section 24 includes two intermediate panels 27 and 28 which are disposed midway between the panels 25 and 26 and which are separated therefrom by corresponding bottom forming panels 29 and 30. The panel 29 is located between the panels 25 and 27 and the panel 30 is located between the panels 26 and 28. The panels Each of the panels 25, 26, 27 and 28 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced longitudinally disposed partition forming flaps 33 each of which is formed by cutting the panel along three sides of each flap 33 as indicated by the solid lines 34 and so that the flap 33 can then be folded along the other borderline thereof constituting a scored line 35. The secured ends of the the flaps 33 of the panels 25 and 28 are located at corresponding ends of said flaps and opposite to the secured ends of the flaps 33 of the panels 26 and 27. Likewise, the flaps 33 of the panels 25 and 28, which are disposed substantially in alignment with one another, longitudinally in alignment with one another, longitudinally of the blank 8, are o'tfset relative to the flaps 33 of the panels 26 and 27, as clearly illustrated in Figure 4.

The panels 29 and 30 are each provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced circular egg holders or seats 36 formed by a series of crosscuts 37 forming segment shaped flaps 38 which are adapted to be bent downwardly.

T o assemble the container 7 from the blank 8 and strip 9, the blank 8 is folded along the scored line 10 dividing the front wall 16 and panel 25 and is also folded along the scored line 10 separating the panels 27 and 28, so that the outer edge of the panel 26 will be disposed along the scored line 169 dividing the top wall 13 and rear wall 14 and with the panel 26 disposed against said rear wall 14. The panel 26 as thus disposed is secured to the rear wall 14 by means of staples 39, as seen in Figures 1 and 3, and the panel 25 may be secured in the same manner by additional staples 39 to the front wall 16. The panels 27 and 23 are folded along the scored lines 10 separating said panels from the panels 29 and 30, respectively, so that the panels 27 and 28 extend upwardly from the panels 29 and 30 in a direction away from the bottom 15, as seen in Figure 3. The strip 9 is inserted between the panels .27 and 28 and is of a length corresponding to the length of said panels and of a width greater than the width thereof so that one longitudinal edge of the reinforcing strip 9 will rest on the bottom 15 when the other longitudinal edge thereof is disposed in the fold of the Psi tented Mar. 12, 1957 resser scored line 10 by which the panels 27 and 28 are connected. It will be apparent that in order to position the panels 27 and 28 in abutting engagement with opposite sides of the strip 9, as seen in Figure 3, that the rear wall 14 and front wall 16 must be folded upwardly relative to the bottomlS along .the'scored lines, 10 separating said,

stantially parallel to one another and substantia y P pendicularto thebottom. 15.

The flaps 31 of the panels 29 an 39, torm g he filler bottom, are then turned downwardly and are of a proper length so that their lower ends rest upon the bottom 15. The bottom flaps 20 are then turned upwardly and the wall flaps 18 and 21 are then folded inwardly across the outer side of the bottom flaps 20 and the tongues 22 of the flaps 21 are passed inwardly through the slots 1% of the flaps l8 interlocking the end flaps 18 and 21 at each end of the container 7. Said end flaps 18 and 21 combine with the bottom flaps 20 to form the end walls of the container 7 and which terminate below the level of the upper edges of the rear wall 14 and front wall 16 but substantially above the level of the filler bottom 2%, 3b, as seen in Figure 2.

The flaps 33 of the panels 25 and 26 are then bent inwardly and toward the longitudinal partition wall 27, 9, 28 andthe flaps 33 of the panels 27 and 28 are bent outwardly and toward the rear Wall 14 and front Wall 16, respectively, to overlap the flaps of the panels 25 and 25, as best seen in Figure 1.

With the container '7 thus assembled and in an open position as seen in Figure 1, said container can be filled with eggs E which are inserted into the compartments 40 thereof as seen in Figure l. The eggs E are inserted preferably with the restricted ends thereof downward and are pressed down so that the restricted end of each egg will force the seat flaps or segments 38 downward so that a portion of the egg will fit snugly in the seat opening ll and the seat flaps 3% will yieldably bear around the portion of the egg disposed beneath the opening 41, as seen in Figure 3. The opening 41 is of a proper diameter to support the egg with the lower restricted end thereof above and spaced from the bottom 15 and the front and rear walls and partition wall of the container 7 are of a height greater than the length of the egg E, so as to extend to above the level of the upper end of the egg when it is disposed in the container 't will be noted that the overlapping flaps 33 which form transverse partitions between longitudinally aligned compartments lit are hinged at opposite ends thereof. The natural tendency of the flaps 33 are to return to normal coplanar positions in the panels from which said flaps are struck. Consequently, the flaps 33 will not remain in partially overlapping abutting engagement as seen in Figures 1 and 2. Rather, the flaps of each pair of flaps will tend to swing away from one another. Consequently, after the container '7 is filled with a dozen eggs E the upper portion of each egg will be yieldably gripped between two flaps 33 which will ellectively function to prevent any movement of the egg longitudinally of the container 7 and which will also resist any lateral motion of the egg. The flaps 33 thus in addition to forming transverse partition walls accomplish a unique cushioning effect for holding the eggs E against any jarring motion which might tend to break the eggs.

After the container 7 is filled as previously described, the cover '13 is swung downward to a position to close the open top of the container and the cover flap 11 is bent downward to overlie the outer side of ti e upper portion of the front wall 16, and the tongue 12 thereof is passed inwardly and downwardly'through the slit 17' for retain-' ing the cover 13 in a closed position as seen in Figure 3.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my inventioni 1. An egg containercomprising arr-interior filler section and an outer shell section surrounding said filler section, said filler section and shell section being formed of an elongated blank of cardboard having. one end portion forming the filler section and the other end portion forming the shell sectiomsaidshell, seetionincluding a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall and a top wall, said filler section being composed of panels including end panels disposed against inner sides of the front wall and rear wall and forming inner plies thereof,.intermediate panels disposed between and substantially parallel to said end panels, and panels extending between bottom edges of said end panels and intermediate panels and constituting bottom panels, said bottom panels being disposed above and spaced from the shell bottom and forming the filler bottom, means securing said end panels to the front and rear walls and said intermediate panels to one another, said end panels and intermediate panels having longitudinally spaced longitudinally elongated struck-out flaps each having a secured end about which the iiap hinges relative to the panel individual thereto, said flaps being bent to extend into the spaces between the end panels and intermediate panels and being arranged whereby a flap of each panel overlaps a flap of another panel, said overlapping flaps combining to form transverse partitions between the end panels and intermediate panels and above said bottom panels for combining with said intermediate panels to divide the filler into a plurality of compartments having open tops each adapted to hold an egg, said bottom panels forming the bottoms of said compartments and having an egg seat formed in each compartment bottom in which an end of an egg is adapted to be received, said front wall and rear wall having end extensions forming flaps, said wall flaps having interlocking means, the complementary flaps of said walls being interlocked to form end walls of the container, an end portion of said blank forming the cover of said shell and a cover flap, said cover extending over and closing the open top of the container, and means detachably interlocking the cover flap to the container front wall.

2. An egg container as in claim 1, said bottom panels having end extensions, said bottom panels being disposed above and spaced from the container bottom and said end extensions extending downwardly from the ends of the bottom panels and resting on said container bottom for bracing the bottom panels.

3. An egg container as in claim 1, said end panels and intermediate panels eachbeing of a width less than the width of the front wall and rear wall for supporting said bottom panels above and spaced from the container bottom, and a bracing strip formed of a material corresponding to the material of said blank of a length substantially corresponding to the length of the panels and of a width substantially corresponding to the width of the front and rear walls, said bracing strip having a longitudinal portion disposed between said intermedi ate panels and secured thereto by the fastening means thereof, and another longitudinal portion of said bracing strip extending downwardly from said intermediate panels and bottom panels and having a bottom edge resting on the container bottom for reinforcing and supporting the filler bottom and the intermediate panels forming the longitudinal filler partition.

4. A11 figg Container as in claim 3, said fastening means comprising staples.

5. Anegg container as in claim 1, the overlapping flaps formingeach of said transverse partitions being hinged at oppoiste ends whereby said flaps tend to swing away from one another so that two of the partition forming flaps of adjacent partitions will swing inwardly with respect to the egg compartment thereof and toward one another for yieldably gripping therebetween an egg disposed in the compartment to provide a yieldable cushioning holding means for the egg.

6, An egg container as in claim 1, said bottom panels having end extensions, said bottom panels being disposed above and spaced from the container bottom and said end extensions extending downwardly from the ends of the bottom panels and resting on said container bottom for bracing the bottom panels, and said bottom wall having end extensions forming upwardly extending flaps disposed between the bottom panel extensions and the front and rear wall flaps and forming inner plies of said end walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,077,322 Ward Nov. 4, 1913 1,465,231 Oglesby Aug. 14, 1923 1,511,678 Schwartzberg Oct. 14,- 1924 1,972,622 Goodyear Sept. 4, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 59,184 Norway Mar. 28, 1938 

